Prior gaming machines such as multi-reel and multi-line slot machines have a number of displayed game symbols. U.S. Pat. No. 8,147,322 (Walker Digital, LLC) states that “the term ‘symbol’ may refer to any graphic or other indicia that appear on the reels of a gaming device, or in any game area of a gaming device, or on the display of another device that may represent an outcome or a portion thereof.” By way of historical example, a slot machine had three mechanical reels of game symbols that, when a wager was inserted and played, would mechanically rotate and randomly align game symbols on a pay line to award the player when a winning combination of game symbols occurs. Today, a large number of electronic gaming machines, under control of a processor, exist that often provide a base game having more than three reels and a large number of pay lines such as five reels with numerous game symbols with 25 or more pay lines. Such multi-reel, multi-pay line electronic gaming machines, however, are often difficult for players to understand the many different game symbols and winning game symbol combinations on such numerous pay lines. Rather than trying to understand, some players simply wager and wait for the casino base game to visually and/or audibly highlight any winning combinations on each of the numerous pay lines. This is often confusing to players and such confusion is not present in the older style three reels, one pay line slot machines. A need exists to provide more electronic gaming machines having game play simplicity so players can fully understand base game play and know how and why a win occurs.
Such multi-reel, multi-pay line electronic gaming machines often provide a complicated wagering pattern such as wagering one (or multiple) bet(s) on one (or multiple) pay line(s). More importantly, when a player wagers one bet on one line and receives a winning combination of symbols on another line, the player may be disappointed. When the player wagers a “max bet” by wagering the maximum bet allowed per line on each pay line, the player may be surprised and upset as the max bet wager may be a large amount. Games in gaming machines are also implemented in remote locations such as over the Internet in player computers or other appliances. In these remote environments, the player has the audio visual look and feel of playing the gaming machine. Many such implementations use play money (or the like) for wagering. Whether real or play money is wagered, game play is the same. A need exists to provide simplistic game play and wagering patterns without using numerous reels and pay lines to players to avoid such disappointments and surprises. Such simplicity game play and wagering may also attract players such as elderly players who otherwise may become confused as to how much is wagered and/or what winning outcomes are. Likewise, such simplistic games may appeal to the elderly in who do not have access to casinos, but enjoy wagering play money.
Casino operators generally seek gaming machines that quickly complete play of the base game so as to increase overall profits for the footprint the gaming machine occupies. A further need exists to provide a base game offering fast play.
Casino operators generally seek gaming machines that keep players seated for continued play of the base game with an exciting game theme and/or with bonus games played when a bonusing event or trigger occurs in base game play. Conventional games may also use interactive features where the player touches displayed objects on a touch screen to reveal hidden awards. Such conventional games may also use extended base game play to encourage the player to continually re-wager. A need also exists to provide a casino base game that encourages players to continue play at the gaming machine based on placing only the initial wager.
Some prior gaming machine designs incorporate graphic scene or story lines in bonus game play such as providing a bonus game having a predetermined number of successive free spins. The player receives credits for any win during each free spin while viewing a video scene. In another design, a player selects a character from a list and then places a wager in the base game. When a bonus game is triggered during base game play; the player may make modifications to the selected character's attributes and may optionally surrender or challenge an opponent (another player or the computer) such as in a fight scene in the bonus screen. Bonus games that are statistically triggered after a number of base games are played.
Several prior gaming machine designs also incorporate graphic stories or story lines in base game play such as presenting to a player a matrix of game symbols. The player wagers and then successively selects, one by one, a predetermined number of a larger number of the displayed game symbols in the matrix. In play of the base game, a fight scene in stages in a game display and the player controls the action of one fighter in each stage with the selection of each game symbol. The base game continues until all of the predetermined number of game symbols is selected by the player and the final payoff is then made. Each game symbol selection results in a stage of the fight displayed in the screen and the player collects a payoff (either a null value or a value) in each stage until the game ends at the last selection. Another design sets forth a base game wherein a player clicks on one object from many objects displayed on a screen and places a wager. The selected object reveals a random payoff, a transition to a new scene, etc. The process of clicking and placing a new wager continues to further play each scene of the base game. In another design, the player interacts with a story line to make decisions on how the story continues in scenes from beginning to end of play. In each scene of the story, the player may accumulate awards. A further need exists to design a base game that statistically provides extended play through a number of rounds based only on the initial wager, but ends base game play whenever an award (a value award or a null award) is made in a round. A final need exists to statistically increase the expected player payoff as more rounds of the base game are played.